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User blog:Bowdrie1999/The Rim: Part 2
"Hyperdrive parts are onboard, we're fueled up and ready to go." Anna nodded to the captain. "On you're order skipper." Eli looked up from his datapad. "Start her up. Let's go black." The faniliar thrum of the engines vibrated through the bulkheads as the captain headed climbed down the ladder onto the observation deck. Stede, the big Kiffar first-mate stood on the deck with his arms crossed over his barrel chest, watching as Anna expertly guided the Dhalia away from the dusty wasteland of Korriban. "We still be needin' supplies and repair, and the crew could use some leave time. Man's likely to go mad in these parts of the 'verse." The captain nodded. "As soon as Tyr fixes the hyperdrive, we'll make for Ciryth pass, see if we can find a nice merchant ship, and then go due south the Zirtran's Anchor. We'll put in to dry dock there and take a couple week's leave." He smiled. "You all have earned it. Stede grinned wide. "I can taste the fresh ale now Skipper." He punctuated the statement, closing his eyes and inhaling the imaginary aroma. The swirling ultraviolet gasses of Ciryth pass were part of a larger nebula that was rumored to be the remains of an ancient Rakata star system long since destroyed. Now it was nothing but treacherous asteroid belts and endless celestial bodies of gas. And a haven for pirates and smugglers. Ships passing through had to revert to realspace to navigate the asteroid field, and were thus perfect prey for pirates. Anna called the Captain through the intercomm. "Ship on scopes Cap. Barloz-class. Hold on a sec, I'll run her HI numbers." After a brief pause, her voice returned. "You're gonna like this Captain. She's a ship out of CorSec, flying the Trade Federation. Her manifest reports 6 crew members and a cargo of uncut Ryll spice. Nearly a metric ton of it." The Captain whistled through his teeth. Trade Federation. All the better. Those who stripped entire star systems of their resources at gunpoint, leaving them desolate, erradicating thousands of indigenous species. His own homeworld, Vantryll, was pillaged by their greed. He had a personal vendetta, and thus enjoyed hindering them at every possible opportunity. With a smile, he grabbed his Comm. "Sound general quarters. Battle stations. Prepare the boarding equippment. We're going after her" He climbed up to the bridge and sat down beside Anna. "Full right rudder, flank speed. Stay in her baffles." He ship responded with a burst of speed as the captain monitored the freigher through sensor magnification as it ponderously navigated the asteroid field. With Anna's skill at the helm, the Black Dhalia quickly closed the gap, silently, like a stalking predator. Eli brought Nock and Dryn on the comm. "Load the torpedo tubes with connor nets. Program them to detonate remotely." They both affirmed and set to their tasks on the gun deck. Nock was gunnery chief of the starboard weaponry, and Dryn was the chief of the port weaponry. The two twins had madee it their personal competition to see which side could operate with the most effeciency. The brother who got his gun crew to load the fastest, fire the fastest and with the most accuracy, got the other brother to buy him a keg of their favorite ale at the next port. Consequently, the Dhalia had some of the finest gunners on the Rim. When the sensor range ticked down to 6,000 klicks, Captain Bainbridge ducked out of the bridge and took he ladder well down to the main hold. Cargo from previous raid was stacked neatly in the corner. 5 men assembled near the airlock, armed to the teeth and donning armored space suits. The captain climbed into his own suit, pressurizing it and bringing the Comm system online. "Ann, you with me?" The comm crackled then came to life. "Loud and clear skipper. We're closing at 700 klicks." Eli retrieved a snub-nosed blaster carbine from the weapon rack, checked the magazine and switched his comm to the gunners. "Fire the connor netsnas soon as we're in range." Slinging the carbine across his back, he stepped over to the airlock and got the "ready" hand-signal from the five other men. Two miniature explosions detonated amidships, rolling the vessel to port. The connor nets, carried by a tracking missile, traced toward their target. The Captain watched through the HUD on his helmet faceplate as the two silvery projectiles broke off in front of the freighter, detonating right off the bow. Two huge nets flowered open, recieving the Barloz's nose into andeadly embrace as they simulataneously sent a huge ammount of voltage through the ship,making her dead in space. Two more loud bangs sounded right above the cargo hold. Grappling hooks. The captain and his men stepped into the airlock, sealed the door, and opened the huge ramp into space. Giving the men a final thumbs-up, Eli jumped off the ramp and intonthe void, connecting the magnetic roller on his forearm with the grappling line connecting the two ships. The slidig down the line, his boots clanged softly on the hull of the freighter. He withdrew a timed det-pack from the duraplast casing at his waist and placed it on the ship's hull, activating the small bomb and pushing off with both feet. Repelling back to a safe distance, he detonated the det-pack. A muffled explosion blew a hole in the side of the Barloz big enough for two men. The captain slid through the hole, activated the flashlight on his helmet and drew his rifle as he repelled into the darkened cargo bay. Landing softly on one kne on the deckplates, he gave the bay a careful scan with his rifle. Seeing their skipper's all-clear signal, the other men repelled into the room. Eli stepped over to the nearest crate, noting that the artificial gravity was still online, prying the lid open with his combat knife, he punctured the sealing and peered at the contents. He could almost smell the pungent drug through his space suit. "This is the stuff, let's get it loaded." He handed the box the Greene, whi shoved it out into space, where the Dhalia's small tractor beam drew it into the airlock where crewmen waited to load it into the bay. The process was repeated with all the other crates until the six men stood in an empty cargo bay, the Ryll safely loaded on the Dhalia. "Time to make our hosts a visit." Eli grinned and walked over to the airlock and easily bypassed the security code. Stepping onto the bridge, lit in eery emergency red, six Nemoidians cowered. One drew a small pistol, but staring down the barrels of six high-powered rifles, he dropped it, trembling. Without a word, Captain Bainbridge stepped over to the conteol panel and reactivated it, programming his command in and then fragging the whole panel with a blast from his rifle. "Your emergency beacon is set to go off in 20 minutes. Gives us time to make a clean getaway. Wilco?" They all nodded, still shaking in fear. Not even attempting to hide his contempt, he looked over his shoulder. "Your employers will probably ask you who took their cargo. Tell them an old friend who remembers what happened to Vantryll wabted to settle a score. They'll know what I mean." He gave them a mock bow. "Better luck next time, mates." And dissapeared. Anna radioed the captain as he was removing his uncomfortable suit. "Skipper, patrol ship just popped out on the edge of the system. They haven't spotted us yet but they will if we don't get a move on." Stepping out of the suit, he grabbed his commlink. "Looks like we've worn out our welcome, lucky for our Nemoidian friends. All engines ahead full. Plot a course to Zirtran's Anchor." "With pleasure sir." Category:Blog posts Category:Blog posts